Vogue‘s Sarah Mower rightly stated in her review: one day it would be wonderful to see Erdem costume a movie. Erdem Moralioglu‘s pre-fall 2019 collection has that quality of being beautifully dramatic, yet at the same time alive. This gorgeous pink gown with billowy sleeves is the perfect example.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Although the Queen didn’t attend Richard Quinn’s show this season, the front row at his spring-summer 2019 presentation sparked interest. Art students from Quinn’s high school in London and Central Saint Martins, where he earned his degree, were all here, absolutely stunned and impressed by the British designer’s creations. In recent years, arts programs have been dramatically underfunded in British schools, and this was Quinn’s admirable way of drawing attention to that problem (cutting out art programs is a short-sighted action – it’s the fashion industry, for example, that plays as a very profitable export for Great Britain). Speaking of Quinn’s collection. ‘Dramatic’ is the word that fits it perfectly. Models in velvet ski masks opened the show in black tutus and heels, with a storm clouds projection in the background. Three looks in, and we’ve got 50s cocktail dresses in the boldest florals, gowns with feather trimmings and meticulously embroidered pyjamas. That major sequin work is just ‘wow’. The leopard print that appeared on the ladylike coats and drop-waisted frocks in the end brought the collection proper spice. Quinn conquers the evening-wear niche, that’s for sure. And proves he’s not a one-season wonder.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
London fashion week didn’t see a big debut for a while. But was it worth the wait? Riccardo Tisci at Burberry seemed to be an unlikely choice from the beginning. The brand’s logo and identity changes felt vague and predictable. A post-show, 24 hours only merch shopping via Instagram had to have everyone like ‘wow’, but I guess no one really bothered to buy anything. You might think that 134 looks in a collection have to speak loud and clear about the designer’s vision. That’s what I thought before. Well, maybe that number of looks tried to say a word or two, but in overall it felt like Tisci wanted to seize too much and mention too many things at a time in his first collection for this historic, British brand. The first part of the collection referred to Burberry’s heritage – trench coats, Burbs checks and silk foulards – and played with the notion of conservative, British middle class from the Thatcher era. If Riccardo developed that a bit further and kept the show in these 50 outfits, that might have been a good shot . But then, a dozen of identical menswear looks appeared, aesthetically closer to Prada and 90s Helmut Lang than Burberry. Another ton of womenswear (this time related to the punk movement, unfortunately looking shallow, preppy and… tired) and a portion of men’s unamusing streetwear (think sweatshirts and prints that are very close to Riccardo’s work at Givenchy – this time, however, we’ve got creepy, Victorian families photo instead of Catholic iconography) appeared on the runway. In the end, we had this quite stiff line-up of ladies’ eveningwear. I liked Christopher Bailey’s last seasons at Burberry, but I never really looked at his collections again. Tisci’s debut could have been more focused and gripping, that’s sure, but let’s give him time. And please, narrow down that scope!
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
No one talks about sex like Christopher Kane. Especially, in fashion. Last year, his collection was inspired with Cynthia Payne, a South London brothel keeper who entertained the Members of Parliament in her suburban house, and John Kacere’s paintings portraying female bodies. Then, last season, Kane was obsessed with The Joy of Sex, the 70s of blockbuster that was all about illustrated sex education and evocative explanations. In a way, Christopher doesn’t go for straightforward, ‘sexy’ clothes, but goes deeper with the idea of sexiness. Spring-summer 2019 is no different. Titled as Sex in Nature, expect the most unexpected. The show starts and the soundtrack is on. The mating rituals of wildlife animals – as narrated by David Attenborough – are remixed with a recording of Marilyn Monroe speaking about her own sex symbol status. The clothes are equally surprising and multi-faceted. To-be sell-outs, the t-shirts, had such slogans as ‘Foreplay’ (depicting two tussling leopards), ‘Sexual Cannibalism’ (two mantises mating, where the female will devour the male later on) and ‘Horsepower’ (speaks for itself). But there were the less commercial pieces as well. Take the boxy mini-dress belted with a lace belt. Wait, is it made out of C-strings? Kane found that accessory in a sex shop in Tokyo, and here we are with the ‘aroused’ tongues on shoes, dress straps and bustiers made solely out of C-string-like elements. Something surprisiglt sexy was also there in that turquoise velvet dress and exaggerated, big, cheesy-chic diamonds that were used in jewellery, tops and prints. Sensuality, instincts, desire, pleasure. Christopher manages to plant all that in his fashion, and doesn’t get trapped by stereotypes or, simply speaking, by the commonly vulgar, over-sexualised notions.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
At a first glace this seemed to be a very typical, Erdem collection. Floor sweeping gowns made of satin; puffed sleeves; huge bows in the brightest colours; lots and lots of brocades and lace. A wardrobe suited for a palace dame, you might think. But in fact, the idea behind the collection isn’t that regal, or even conservative, as you might easily suppose. For those more concerned, this collection was deeply connected with the contemporary politics of gender self-identification. Erdem Moralioglu and his parter, Philip Joseph, lately bought a house in Bloomsbury, “and there was a plaque around the corner dedicated to two sisters, Stella and Fanny, who in fact were Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, who lived as women in the 1860s.” As Sarah Mower teaches in her Vogue feature, “Fanny and Stella, retrospectively honored as heroines of queer London in that plaque, were very publicly out and about in Victorian nightlife. In 1870, the notorious ladies were arrested leaving the Strand Theatre and charged with “conspiring and inciting persons to commit an unnatural offense”—although they were later acquitted.” Not only were the Victorian era-inspired garments a clue for this quite very uncommon reference, but as well a gender-fluid model casting that appeared on the runway. The beauty of craftsmanship and dress-making was embraced in this gorgeous line-up, yes, but as well the beauty of something much, much deeper and humane. “Far beyond any perceived thrill of cross-dressing,” the designer wrote in his press notes, “these were individuals with the courage to explore the power of self-expression.” Powerful.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Design & Culture by Ed 